Raoul Wallenberg Memorial | Kew

Sitting waiting for the traffic lights at Kew Junction, we see an interesting stone memorial to Raoul Wallenberg with a curious inscription.

RAOUL WALLENBERG
1912 -

Who is/was Raoul Wallenberg and why is there a memorial to him at Kew Junction.

Who: Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian who rescued thousands of Jews in Hungary during World War II. While serving as Sweden's special envoy in Budapest during 1944, Wallenberg issued protective passports and sheltered Jews in buildings designated as Swedish territory saving tens of thousands of lives.

Is he alive? Sadly, no. The inscription only gives the date of birth, as it has never been established when Raoul Wallenberg actually died.

Monument: According to the sculptor, the stones symbolise the destruction of the Holocaust, whilst the portrait of Wallenberg at the top symbolises how one man was able to make a difference and save so many lives.

Sculptor: The monument is the work of the noted Austrian born, Australian sculptor, Karl Duldig (1902-1986). It was the artist's final commission, completed only one year before his death.

Wallenberg was named Australia's first honorary citizen in April 2013.

There are countless memorials to Raoul Wallenberg located around the world, with this special memorial related to him located on the corner of Princess Street and High Street at Kew.

Note about the address below: the only way we could get Google maps to recognise the location was to corner it with Studley Park Road even though the moment is on the east side of Princess Street near High Street.